Cushioned armor.



S. HOUGH CUSHIONED ARMOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1911.

Patentd Apr. 9, 1918.

llllllllll llllll ll rrrrr nu v INVENTOR '3 4 Samuel dz o UNITED STATESPATENT ()FF'ICE,

SAMUEL HOUGH, 0F A' lCO, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM H.PITTENGER AND ONE-THIRD TO GORDON GRAY, BOTH 0F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ANDONE-THIRD TO ELECTRIC CUSHIONED ARMOR COMI ANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

CUSHIONED ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HoUeI-I, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atco, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Cushioned Armor, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in uncushionedarmor, and has for its object to provide a device of this characterwhich may be readily and quickly applied to vessels of the abovecharacter and construction to protect the same against an impact oftorpedoes, mines, sub-marines or other missiles, which may be used forthe destruction of vessels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and uniqueconstruction of armor for vessels which will absorb the shock incidentto a (hit) by a missile of any character, and prevent the explosion ofsuch missile, said armor being so arranged on the sides of the vessel asto extend above and below the Water line sufficient distance to protectthe vessel'against missiles traveling or floating on top of or beneaththe surface of the water.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a cushioned armor forvessels which may be lowered in time of need and raised while travelingthrough safety or neuter zones and when entering the harbors or riversof an opening port, so that the armor will not interfere with thedocking of the vessel and also permit another vessel to run alongside ofthe same for loading or'unloading.

'A' still further object of the invention is to provide a cushionedarmor, hinged to the side of a vessel in any suitable manner, said armorcomprising two spaced frames, mow able toward each other, and havingarranged between them suitable resilient shock absorbing or cushioningelements, Said elements, preferably each consisting of a cylinder havinga piston located therein, normally forced outward by a spring, saidcylinder also containing a liquid, such as glycerin, adapted to beforced out of the cylinder into a liquid chamber in communication withthe cylinder through a restricted port.

Said liquid chamber having an outlet for the air, said outlet beingprovided with means for regulating the flow of air therethrough.

lVith these ends in view, this invention consists in the details ofconstruction, com bination of elements hereinafter set forth, and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains, may under stand how to make and use the same, I willdescribe its construction in detail, referring by numerals to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which Figurel, is a fragmentary side elevation of a vessel illustrating in endelevation one of the members forming a part of my cushion armor.

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary side elevation of a vessel showing a number ofarmor sections applied thereto, the different sections having partsthereof broken away to clearly illustrate the construction.

Fig. 8, is an enlarged detailed section of one of the resilient shockabsorbing or cushioning elements showing parts of the cooperatingstructure.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, 2 represents the hull ofa vessel, having secured to the outer surface of the shell a suitabledistance below the gunwale brackets or hangers, 3 which may be inhorizontal alinement, as shown, or they may be arranged in sets andlocated in staggered relation. In adjacent brackets or hangers, 3 ismounted or j ournaled a. shaft land where all of the brackets or hangers3 are in horizontal alinement, the shaft may be secured in all of them,and then bent to conform to the shape of the vessel hull. On each shaftor the sections of shaft between cooperating brackets or hangers arejournaled a plurality of supporting arms 5, either arranged in pairs orsets of three or more, and these arms support the cushioned armor 6preferably composed of a number of parts or members 7. Each of the partsor members 7 consists of the inner frame 8, preferably of wood, and thisis built to conform to the outer contour of the shell of the vesselshull as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

To this inner frameare hinged or pivoted the outer ends of the pistonrods 9 by frame by means of bolts 11 or their equivalent. The" pistonrod 9 projects into a where where it is likely to be torpedoed' i,fired-upon or strike a mine, the different hinge brackets 10,fastened'to said innerHimproved cushioned armor is travelingany cylinder12 secured to the outer frame 13,

7 and said piston rodcarries on its inner end, {operative position asshown, and if a missile of any character ShOUld-StHkO'ClIG vessel in apiston 1 L slidably mounted within the cylinder and normally forcedtoward the free or outer end of the cylinder by suitable "resilientmeans 15, such as a spring located within the cylinder and restingagainst an end thereof, and the pistonl5.

Located adjacent the cylinder, is a fluid chamber 16 havingcommunication with the interior of the cylinder through a restrictedopening 17, and said fluid chamber has con- 1 nected thereto, an outletpipe 29' leading to the atmosphere. The passage through this outletpipeis controlled by'valve or pet cook 18. As each of the parts .o r-menrbers of the cushioned armor is provided 'with a plurality of shock:absorbing or cushioning elements 19 consisting of the cylinders andtheir analogouselements, and

since each cylinder is provided with a liquid 7 chamber 16, saidchambers .may be connected in series or sets by an outlet pipe and itsbranches as plainly shown inFig. 2.

'The outer, frame of the armor consists of an iron or other metalskeleton frame 20 having an inturned flange 23 for strengthening thesame to overcome the posslbility of buckling when buffeted by high seas.

This frame is suitably braced by a strut 21,

and this skeleton frame is provided with a filler 22 of wood or othersuitable material,

and the entire outer face of thisouter frame is incased or covered by'anarmorplate '24 of steel or other suitable metal, such as usedby thenavies of different countries as armor plate for war vessels. .Each ofthe membersor sections 7 ofthe cushion armor 6 are supported by thesupporting arms 5 as hereinbefore described, and these arms arepreferably secured to the outer frame 13 at the upper edge thereof asshown in Fig. 1.

.When it is desired to raise the different sections of the armor intothe inoperative position, the flexible cables'25 are drawn in, in anysuitable and well known manner as by a winch, (not shown) the outer endsof these cables each being attached itofthe lower ends of the differentsections or mem bers of the armor as by bridles 26, and when the armoris to 'be placed'in operative position, the cables 25 are slackenedandfthe cables 27 are drawn taut in any suitable and well known mannerwhich will draw the armor sections snugly against sides of the vesselsince said cables are attached to the lower ends of the differentsections and pass over. suitable guides 28 carried by the vessels hullin suitable positions to "guide the pull upon the cables in the properdirec-* tion for accomplishing the above result.

In practlce, when a vessel carrying my lsections of the armor arelowered to the y y wardthe vessels hull. This action of the .bers 16,thereby absorbing or cushioning the liquid chambers 16, when, because ofsome my. invention.

the region of the armor,v said missile will come in contact with thearmor plate 24- which will tend to give away or move tomissile upon thearmor plate will cause the outer frame to move toward the inner frameand slide the pistons of the resilient and cushioning elements within Itheir cylinders against "the action of the springs15 and cause theliquid contained 7 within said cylinders to be forced out of p the samevery V slowly through the re stricted openings 17 into theliquidchamshock incident :to the imbactof the misslle uponthe armor. When thecushioned armor. is in use, the valves orpetcocks 18 are opened topermitthe'escape of air from the impact uponthe armor,.theliquid'isforced from the cylinders to the liquid chambers but. when thearmor sections are to be raised to theirinoperative positions, thepet-cocks or valves 18 are closed to prevent the escapeof the liquidfrom the liquid chambers. The liquid used in the cylinders may beglycerin, a suitable compound, water or. anything else which may :befound practicable for the purpose. Of course, -I'do not wish to belimited tothe exact details of construction ashere shown, as these maybe varied within thelimits of'the: appendedv T claims without departingfrom the spirit of Having thusfully described-my invention what Iclaimas new and useful, is

1. A cushioned armor for'vessels consisting of two members and resilientmeans 7 connected with said members for normally forcing them apart andabsorbing the shock incident to the impact of anobject against one ofthem,'said resilient means comprising I a cylinder, a piston therein, apiston rod connected to the piston andprojecting through one end of thecylinder, a spring for normally forcingthepiston outward. a'liquidchamber having communication with the cylinder through a restrictedopening, a COU". trolled outlet leading from the liquid chain-' ber, anda liquid contained in the cylinder. and adapted to pass into the liquidchamber under certain conditions; v 2. In a device of the-characterstated, the combination'witha vessel of'a cushioned 1 armor hinged to,the outside'of' the vessel comprising a plurality of sections, eachsection consisting of two spaced members and cushioning elements locatedbetween and at- 7 tached to sa d members, cables for raising" saidsections into inoperative positions and other cables for drawing saidsections into operative positions.

3. In combination with a vessel, a cushioned armor comprising aplurality of sections, each section consisting of an inner frame shapedto conform to the outer contour of the hull of the vessel, an outerframe approximately parallel with and spaced from the first named frame,and resilient means located between and attached to said frames,brackets or hangers carried by the vessel, means supported by saidhangers and supporting arms carried by the outer frame of each section,said arms being journaled on said means for hinging the armor to thevessel.

4. In combination with a vessel, a cushioned armor comprising aplurality of sections, each section consisting of an inner frame shapedto conform to the outer contour of the hull of the vessel, an outerframe approximately parallel with and spaced from the first named frame,said outer frame consisting of a metal skeleton frame, having inturnedflanges, a strut for bracing the same, a filler within said skeletonframe and an armor plate covering the outer face of the skeleton frameand its filler, a plurality of cylinders carried by the outer frame andlocated within the space between the inner and outer frames, pistonswithin said cylinders, piston rods carried by said pistons andprojecting through the free or outer ends of the cylinders, hingebrackets secured to the inner frame for hinging the outer ends of thepiston rods thereto, springs within the cylinders for normally forcingthe pistons outward, a liquid chamber located adjacent each cylinder andhaving communication therewith through a restricted opening, liquidcontained in the cylinders and adapted to be forced into the liquidchambers upon the impact of an object against the armor plate, an airoutlet leading from each of said chambers means for controlling saidoutlets, hangers projecting from the hull of the vessel, a shaftsupported by said hangers, a plurality of supporting arms carried byeach armor section and journaled on the shaft, cables attached to thelower ends of the sections whereby said sections may be raised, guidescarried by the hull of the vessel and cables attached to lower ends ofthe sections and running through said guides whereby the sections may bedrawn snugly against the sides of the vessel.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afixed my signature.

SAMUEL HOUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

